An interleukin or interferon inducing agent is a substance to induce interleukin (IL) or interferon (IFN) by exerting action on human or animal cells. A wide variety of natural substances are known to have such action. For example, a Chinese herb medicine "Tohki" is processed with hot water, and a substance having IFN inducing activity is isolated from the extract (Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 53-32107), or another substance having IFN inducing activity is isolated from a Chinese herb medicine "Souhakuhi" (Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 53-99313).
Broomrape (Aeginetia indica L; AIL) has been known as a roborant and is an annual non-chlorophyllous plant of broomrape family, Aeginetia indica genus. It lives on roots of such plants as eulalia, Japanese ginger, sugar cane, etc., and its fruit contains innumerable fine seeds similar to dust ("General Medicinal Plants", Hirokawa Publishing Co., 1936; pp. 106-107).
The present inventors have found that a substance extracted from the seeds of Aeginetia indica contains a component having prominent IL-2 and IFN-.gamma. inducing activity but giving no side effect. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carcinostatic agent containing an extract from the seeds of Aeginetia indica.